AA5BY

RJ... if it is a new engine, it might need a little time to loosen slightly. Also, a super slow idler may not be needed on the Yak during landing. They are not floaters. Mine almost always requires a few rpms to keep it coming in nicely so if you can get the idle down to where the plane doesn't move on the ground at idle... your good. With my Yak, it was helpful (if not necessary) to expand the low stick throttle rather than have most of the power curve in the firsts half of the throttle... that helped a lot in being able to keep the right amount of power on for the desired glide slope.

The low end needle is generally the more sensitive of the two and getting it dialed in sometimes is like leaning on the needle. Generally as lean as the low end needle will go without creating a spool up sag.

Gassers are a bit more of a pain to initially set the needles in part because each adjustment is usually made with the engine stopped. That requires a tack and as you suggest, a heat sensor. I've never used a heat sensor and have relied on the tach method. Most gas engines will tolerate the high end going right to the edge of max upper rpms but careful not to go over that edge. I like to come back just a few to have a little overhead for temperature and humidity changes.

I adjust the top end rich, and then start running and taching, stopping between each adjustment until the rpms show no further gain or even fall off and then simply back the needle to the previous point if there was no rpm gain or the second previous point if there was an rpm drop.

If the cowl has inadequate outflow... all bets are off as the pressure changes in the cowl make setting a carb with a tach very difficult.

Yes... weather looks good for a couple of days.

Arlyn